Los Altos resident and retired teacher Sue Frame patched together a passion for crafting colorful quilts with the imminent birth of her daughter nearly 25 years ago.

“I didn’t know how to do it, but I did,” said Frame of making her first quilt. “It was kind of ugly and more emotional than artistic.”

As her children grew, she returned to quilting as a creative outlet. Her knack for color and design flourished, and a selection of her nature-inspired quilts is scheduled for display at the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association’s “Shower of Stars Quilt Show,” 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 20 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 21 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

“It’s an opportunity for people who are quilters to share their work and share what quilting is all about,” she said of the annual show.

Giving her fabric art clever, descriptive titles is part of the fun for Frame, who noted that her quilts on display at the show will include a Hubble spacecraft-inspired piece titled “Firmament” and flower-inspired pieces including “Aladdin’s Magic Flower Carpet” and “A Plethora of Personable Plaid Pansy People.”

According to quilt association member Susan Bianchi, the display will showcase more than 400 quilts and a collection of historical pieces on loan from the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. The event will feature quilt demonstrations and rows of vendors selling items for quilters and crafters.

Proceeds from the show fund a program that teaches quilting to women in shelters through Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence. Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association members make more than 1,000 quilts every year and donate them to area hospitals and rehabilitation centers.

“There is something incredibly comforting about a quilt,” Bianchi said. “It’s a piece of artwork that you can pet.”

The Santa Clara Convention Center is located at 5001 Great America Parkway. Free parking is available at the site. Admission, good for both days, is $10 for adults, free for children 12 and under.

For more information, visit scvqaquiltshow.org.

Submit a Letter to the Editor

The Town Crier welcomes letters to the editor on current events pertinent to Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View. Write to us at 138 Main St., Los Altos 94022, Attn: Editor, or email editor Bruce Barton at bruceb@latc.com. Because editorial space is limited, please confine letters to no more than 200 words. Include a phone number for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

You can also have your say right here at losaltosonline.com – scroll to the bottom of any story to add a comment.